Valve key placing tool



July 8, 1952 P. H. NAYSH 2,602,357

VALVE KEY PLACING TOOL Filed April 2, 1949 Paul hf ash IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY Patented July 8, 1952 'UNlT El) stares ram if I 2,602,357 VALVE KEY PLACING TOOL Paul H. Nash, White Deer, Tex. Application April 2,1949, Serial No. 85,248

2 Claims. (01. s1 -5.1)

1 r a V This invention relates to tools for the removal and installation of keys employed on the stems of valves in internal combustion engines and it has particular reference to sucha tool of the plier type having interchangeable magnetic jaws.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a valve key tool consisting of relatively pivoted handle members which are bent transversely of their longitudinal axes to expedite manipu1a tion and application of work holding jaws, one of which is interchangeably attached to the operative end of each handle member. The jaws are provided with complementary work engaging faces of a shape peculiar to the profile of the particular type or make of valve locking key being applied and further, the magnets of which the jaws are composed have like poles in order that separate sections of split keys may be attached by individual jaws and thus be removed simultaneously from the valve stem without magnetic influence between the key sections.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the character set forth in which the magnetic jaws may be held in spaced apart relationship during the removal of valve key sections but releasable to clampingly engage the key sections for the purpose of installing the same. In any case, the jaws are interchangeable on the handle members to accommodate valve keys of various shapes.

With the foregoing objects in view, the invention has further reference to certain features of accomplishment which will become apparent as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a valve key tool constructed according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing the jaws held in spaced apart relationship in extracting key sections.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the jaws closed on a key.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the jaws taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the tool, and

Figure 6 is a detail view of the jaws per se showing the pole positions of the respective jaws.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference numeral l0 denotes a pair of handle members, pivoted at H in the manner of pliers. The handle members are curved across their longitudinal axes in order that the forward end of the tool may be operatively manipulated in relation to an installed valve, for better visia 2 bility and to avoid adjacent of the engine.

The operative 'en'ds of the handle member! are each formed in such manner as to receive and retain work holding jaws 12 for -int erchangeability. There are several different types and forms of valve keys and it is obvious that the jaws-l2 may be altered insofar as the form of Work conforming face is concerned, to accommodate a particular type of key without departing from the intent and purpose of the invention.

In their present form, the jaws l2 are each provided with a semi-circular recess l3 which corresponds to the curvature of a valve key section l4 and each recess has a semi-circular lip l5 at its bottom; the lips jointly serving to effect alignment of the valve key sections preparatory to their installation on a valve stem, not shown.

Irrespective of the form or contour of the jaws l2, each is fashioned from magnetized metal, the magnets each having a flux path along a line connecting the poles of the magnet with an external path of generally semi-elliptical configuration also extending from one pole to the other. Each of the magnets will attract a key section l4, thus to hold the sections for removal or.installation. The key sections thus retained by the jaws will be magnetically repellant and therefore will not influence each other during removing and installing operations.

When the tool is used to install the key sections, the latter are placed'in the recesses of the jaws in the manner shown in Figure 3 and the handle members It! may be manipulated to expand the jaws so that the key sections may be disposed one on each side of the valve stem. The magnetic influence of the jaws will hold the key sections against displacement during this operation.

To remove the key sections from the valve stem, the handle members ID are provided with means to limit the closing action of the jaws. This means consists of a short arm l6, pivoted at I! to one of the handle members [0 and displaceable to a position where it will enter a recess la in the companion handle member and thus hold the jaws in spaced apart relationship. The described means for accomplishing the foregoing or an equivalent means enables the jaws [2 to be held in spaced relation to the key sections in place on each side of the valve stem so that the sections will be independently attracted to respective jaws and thus removed from the valve stem.

It is clearly apparent from the foregoing that obstructing parts the time ordinarily consumed in removing and installing valve stem keys may be reduced considerably and much of the painstaking effort removed. Also, the tool is effective to prevent loss and misplacement of valve keys which occurs frequently with less efficient tools.

Manlfestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is '1. A tool for installing and removing the semividual key sections and to render the latter rela- 2e tively repellant and means for actuating said A jaws.

2. A tool as set forth in claim l in which the means for actuating the jaws consists of a pair of relatively pivoted handle members bent transversely of their longitudinal axes, an arm pivoted to one of said handle members and displaceable to a position for engagement with a recess in the companion handle member to hold said handle members in spaced apart relationship to limit the closing action of said jaws. v

' PAUL H. NASH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this'patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number I Name Date 335,694 Hall Feb. 9, 1886 961,632 Miller June 14, 1910 1,428,679 Caswell Sept. 12, 1922 1,748,673 Hurst Feb. 25, 1930 1,896,001 Kulp et a1 Jan. 31, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 324,657 1 GreatBritain Jan. 30, 1930' 

